Time for nature

The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the climate that makes our planet habitable all come from nature. For instance, each year, marine plants produce more than a half of our atmosphere’s oxygen, and a mature tree cleans our air, absorbing 22 kilos of carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen in exchange. Despite all the benefits that our nature give us, we still mistreat it.That is why we need to work on that. That is why we need this Observance.

World Environment Day is the most renowned day for environmental action. Since 1974, it has been celebrated every year on 5 June: engaging governments, businesses,
celebrities and citizens to focus their efforts on a pressing environmental issue.

In 2020, the theme is biodiversity – a concern that is both urgent and existential. Recent
events, from bushfires in Brazil, the United States, and Australia to locust infestations
across East Africa – and now, a global disease pandemic – demonstrate the
interdependence of humans and the webs of life, in which they exist.

But, do we really know its importance ? Maybe our biodiversity trivial will help.

Background
World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in
1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.
Another resolution, adopted by the General Assembly the same day, led to the creation
of UNEP. It is hosted every year by a different city and commemorated with an international exposition through the week of June 5.

World Environment Day is celebrated in many ways in countries such as Kenya, New
Zealand, Poland, Spain and the United States. Activities include street rallies and
parades, as well as concerts, tree planting, and clean-up campaigns. In many countries,
this annual event is used to enhance political attention and action towards improving
the environment. This observance also provides an opportunity to sign or ratify
international environmental conventions

By dint of coordinated action, original initiatives and creativity, this imposed downtime has made it possible to see what is one of humanity’s riches: our diversity.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay :: Read message Impact of COVID-19 on the Cultural Sector.

Cultural events cancelled, cultural institutions closed, community cultural practices
suspended, empty UNESCO World Heritage sites, heightened risk of looting of cultural
sites and poaching at natural sites, artists unable to make ends meet and the cultural
tourism sector greatly affected… The impact of COVID-19 on the cultural sector is being
felt around the world. This impact is social, economic and political – it affects the
fundamental right of access to culture, the social rights of artists and creative
professionals, and the protection of a diversity of cultural expressions.
The unfolding crisis risks deepening inequalities and rendering communities vulnerable.
In addition, the creative and cultural industries (CCI) contribute US$2,250bn to the
global economy (3% of GDP) and account for 29.5 million jobs worldwide. The
economic fall-out of not addressing the cultural sector – and all auxiliary services,
particularly in the tourism sector – could also be disastrous. (source ” Culture & COVID-19: Impact and Response Tracker – Issue 2 “)

Culture: A Source of Resilience
During this time of mass confinement, billions of people are turning to culture as a source of comfort, well-being and connection. There has been a surge in the creation of, and access to, cultural content online – from virtual visits to museums and galleries, streaming of films and even community choirs via social media – showing its fundamental role as a source of resilience for communities. Major crises throughout history have often given rise to a renaissance of culture and an explosion of new forms of creativity, so vital for human progress.

Birds Connect Our World
The Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and Environment for the Americas (EFTA) have joined forces to
strengthen global recognition and appreciation of migratory birds. This year the theme of World Migratory Bird Day is “Birds Connect Our World” and was chosen to highlight the importance of conserving and restoring the ecological connectivity and integrity of ecosystems that support the natural movements of migratoy birds and that are essential for their survival and well-being.

Ecological Connectivity and its importance
Connectivity is essential for migratory species, and important for a wide variety of
ecological functions. It describes the natural and necessary movement of species and the flow of natural processes that sustain life on Earth. With 1 million species facing the risk of extinction within our generation, connectivity has become a central topic for
biodiversity and sustainability. Migratory species move across the globe, running,
swimming, or in the case of birds flying, connecting countries, people and continents
through their migration routes. This migration can only be accomplished when animals
are able to access the different sites and habitats that they rely upon along their pathways.
These pathways transcend national borders, national plans and conservation priorities of any single country. Migratory birds connect countries and their conservation requires
cooperation between countries and across national boundaries.

Connectivity and Birds
The flyways used by migratory birds connect different habitats. Often, these long-haul
flight paths cross inhospitable terrain, such as deserts and open seas. Suitable habitats for wintering, as stop-over,staging and breeding sites are crucial for the survival of these
birds. The ecological connectivity of these sites is important to the survival of migratory
birds, but this it is being threatened by habitat loss and degradation. The loss or
degradation of a critical stop-over site for migratory birds can have a devastating effect
on the survival chances of migratory birds and lead to a defragmentation that can have a devastating effect on populations. Other threats, such as poisoning, unsustainable use, collisions with man-made objects and climate change are also having a negative impact on migratory birds around the world.

An explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986 spread a radioactive cloud
over large parts of the Soviet Union, now the territories of Belarus, Ukraine and the
Russian Federation. Nearly 8.4 million people in the three countries were exposed to the radiation.

The Soviet Government acknowledged the need for international assistance only in 1990. That same year the General Assembly adopted resolution 45/190 , calling for
“international cooperation to address and mitigate the consequences at the Chernobyl
nuclear power plant.” That was the start of the United Nations’; involvement in the
Chernobyl recovery. An Inter-Agency Task Force was established to coordinate the
Chernobyl co-operation. In 1991 the UN created the Chernobyl Trust Fund – currently
under the management of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
( OCHA ). Since 1986, the UN family of organizations and major NGOs have launched
more than 230 different research and assistance projects in the fields of health, nuclear
safety, rehabilitation, environment, production of clean foods and information.

In 2002 the United Nations announced a shift in the Chernobyl strategy, with a new focus on a long-term developmental approach. UNDP and its regional offices in the three affected countries took the lead in the implementation of the new strategy. There is still a great deal of work that needs to be done in the affected region. To provide support to international, national and public programmes targeted at the sustainable development of these territories, in 2009 UN launched the International Chernobyl Research and Information Network (ICRIN) .

On 8 December 2016 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 26 April as International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day.
In its resolution, the General Assembly recognized that three decades after the disaster
there remains persistent serious long-term consequences and that the affected
communities and territories are experiencing continuing related needs. The General
Assembly invites all Member States, relevant agencies of the United Nations system and other international organizations, as well as civil society, to observe the day.